NFPA 13: Installation of Sprinkler Systems 2016

Updates in the 2016 NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems help designers, engineers, contractors, and installers develop the best fire sprinkler defense for any occupancy.

Fire protection challenges have changed along with construction materials and types of storage. Get equipped for today's hazards by getting up-to-code with the new industry standard for the automatic sprinkler system design, installation, and acceptance testing; hanging and bracing systems; underground piping; and seismic protection.

Revisions to commodity classification tables in the 2016 NFPA 13 present the most significant update to the tables in over 30 years.

Updated classification tables in Chapter 5 Annex based on today's materials help sprinkler system designers avoid common errors in classifying commodities. The new tables improve accuracy and reduce the risk for mistakes that could prove catastrophic in a fire.

A task group addressed the costly problem of corrosion in piping.

In a major change that impacts installers, the 2016 NFPA 13 adds a new requirement that a single air vent be installed for each wet sprinkler system to help reduce potential corrosion activity due to trapped air. A task group concluded that venting the trapped air in a wet system can decrease water delivery time, reduce alarm ring delay, reduce water flow alarm cyclic ringing, and reduce corrosion activity.

Other changes provide more flexible options for sprinkler design:

• A new protection scheme for exposed bay plastics in racks has been added to Chapter 17, in response to the potential for serious fires.
• New language added to Chapter 8 based on studies done by the Fire Protection Research Foundation allows sprinklers to be omitted above certain cloud ceiling configurations.
• Conversions to metric have switched from an exact conversion into an approximate conversion to make the Standard more usable and cost effective on a global scale.
• A new provision requires listed window sprinklers to be used where glazing assemblies are used as an alternative to fire-resistance-rated construction.
• Revisions in Chapter 9 address the use of concrete anchors
• An alternative storage protection scheme has been added for certain storage arrangements, similar to the Scheme A allowance in NFPA 30: Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code.

Gain the edge in sprinkler protection to prevent fire deaths and property loss.